FWCH earns Silver LEED certification

11/16/2010

MSHA Assistant Vice President for Construction and Facility Management Bill Alton, left, presents the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Award to FWCH CEO David Nicely.

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - Franklin Woods Community Hospital received Silver LEED Certification on Monday from the U.S. Green Building Council. First opened in July, FWCH is the first hospital in the region to earn the highly coveted recognition for sustainable construction and operations.

"We are very, very excited," said FWCH CEO David Nicely. "We do hope this gives some momentum for other businsses and industries around the region to begin looking at how they can move their operations into a more sustainable mode."

The 80-bed hospital cost $122 million and replaced the aging North Side and Johnson City Specialty hospitals, which both closed in July. The Franklin Woods team focused on the following features to earn LEED certification:

Just driving into the parking lot at Franklin Woods shows how health care is changing. The area outside the hospital feels like a park with water features, gardens and lots of green space. There is parking near the front doors specifically for low-emission vehicles such as hybrid cars, and even spaces with electrical outlets for physicians using golf carts to come from neighboring offices inside Med Tech Park. The lobby has large glass walls, wood beams and trees growing indoors. Gone are the days of bleached white ceramic floors. These floors are made of cork.

The new hospital has approximately 240,000 square feet and is built on a 25-acre lot inside Med Tech Park. It has 80 licensed beds and a 22-room Emergency Department. Of the licensed beds, 20 are dedicated as part of Women's and Children's Services. The surgical services include ear, nose and throat procedures, plastic surgeries and general surgery. There is also a large diagnostic services area offering two CT scanners, a cutting-edge MRI and other diagnostic equipment.